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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26576752">LoveNotFound</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mini_puffs/pseuds/mini_puffs'>mini_puffs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cliffhanger, Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, M/M, Oneshot, Regret, love or host, no beta we die like dream in sands of time</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:40:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26576752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mini_puffs/pseuds/mini_puffs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p> It’s a joke at first. That’s how it begins. An absolute joke, because nobody would expect him on the show, especially after the interviews. Twitter’s already screaming about the possibilities and Dream can’t even imagine the chaos that would erupt from the stream itself. </p>
  <p>But, he gets to mess with George. And that's something he can't pass up. </p>
</blockquote>Or: Dream regrets going on the show in the first place.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>323</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>LoveNotFound</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>*drops in from the ceiling* hi </p>
<p>- based off <a href="https://colournotfound.tumblr.com/post/628716612764270592/technoqlane-technoqlane-ok-but-imagine-for-a">that tumblr post</a><br/>- <b> technoqlane: </b> <i> Ok but imagine for a minute Dream actually is a contestant on George’s ‘Love or Host’ and first round, George jokingly keeps him in cause ‘haha for the shippers’ but then he just stays in each round and Sapnap (who is Georges wingman throughout this) is like huh??? and George is just like “Dreams answers were just actually better, ok?”</i><br/><i>And Dream starts taking it more seriously (ofc because he is a George simp but also because he is competitive) </i><br/><i>and then its down to the last round between Dream and another girl and the question is: did Dream choose love or host at the beginning? </i><br/>- <b> colournotfound: </b> <i> Love or Host, but it’s just Dream’s slowly dawning horror when he realizes that he’s about to actually be picked by George and him having flashbacks to the fact that he picked host at the beginning as an insecure—sorry, I mean funny—joke, and that he can’t change it.</i><br/><i>It’s him, torn between hysterical laughter and panicked tears, knowing, knowing, that he messed up, all while he hurriedly starts to log into Paypal while Austin announces “Host!” to queue up the first of many thousand US dollar installments as he buys his way back into George’s good graces. </i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s a joke at first. That’s how it begins. An absolute joke, because nobody would expect him on the show in the first place, especially after the interviews. Twitter’s already screaming about the possibilities and Dream can’t even imagine the chaos that would erupt from the stream itself. He knows for a fact the fans will be in tears, and never let him live it down.</p>
<p>But hey, he’s done worse. Although, the UK vlog is technically George’s responsibility and not his.</p>
<p>Speaking of—</p>
<p>“You’re not actually gonna do it,” George had said to him, a few hours before it started. He had his camera on, his room a complete mess. “Are you? You’re not.”</p>
<p>“You’ll see,” was all Dream told him, offering nothing more but a laugh. “I’m not spoiling anything.”</p>
<p>It’s an even bigger joke when Austin agrees, actually agrees to let him join, and asks him, “love or host?” a few minutes before they go live. Obviously, Dream laughs and answers him in an instant with “host.” What kind of fool would he be, answering love on air when he’ll be taken out of the competition in the first round. An absolute clown, that’s what. He wants his Twitter timeline to burn, not incinerate. </p>
<p>But no, they’re three hours in, it’s just him and the other girl, and the winner has been long proclaimed by George himself. Dream is grateful for the break as he mutes himself and screams. Patches jumps and stares at him. He’ll apologize later, because all he can focus on right now is his heart pounding loudly in his chest, his entire body shaking.</p>
<p>George chose him. Him. Out of the dozen other contestants. Him. Live in front of thousands of people. Him. </p>
<p>Fuck. </p>
<p>What the fuck.</p>
<p>He only feels like this in manhunts.</p>
<p>He should be happy, Dream notes. Happy that it’s him. Because that means he wins, wins this entire fucking show, and can leave everybody behind in the dust. Brag about it and taunt George for the rest of his miserable life, reeling in a bunch of Twitter clout. Losers, all of them. </p>
<p>The feeling coursing through his being doesn’t feel like joy, though. Far from it. Dream can’t believe his luck as he breathes in and out to gain some sort of stability back, through his hysterical laughter and scrambled thoughts. Amidst the screaming in his mind, the tears, miniature blob versions of himself (thank you artists) probably committing arson in what he calls his brain, only one coherent thought looms over the rest. </p>
<p>
  <em> Did he choose love or host? </em>
</p>
<p>And Dream knows his answer.</p>
<p><em> Austin, </em>  he types, picking himself back up and fingers flying across the keyboard. Maybe it’s not too late.  <em> Is it too late to change my decision?  </em></p>
<p>He hits enter and waits. A laugh echoes in the background and Dream almost mistakes it for his own, the charred remains of his brain jeering at him, but it’s Austin’s and he laughs for a good minute before speaking once more. “Oh Dream,” he says, voice laced with pity. The ads have stopped and they’re back on. “Dream, Dream, Dream.”</p>
<p>“Oh Austin,” Dream replies to keep it going. “Austin.”</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry. We’ve let you on, without a face cam too.” He sighs. Dream knows what’s coming and bites his tongue. Of fucking course. “I’m really sorry, Dream, but I can’t let you do that.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Dread pools in his gut as Dream slinks back into his chair, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Maybe he’d get lucky and it’d spit him on the other side of the world, right next to George, so he could yell at him what a stupid mistake they’ve both made. Mainly his. “That’s fine.”</p>
<p>“Do what?” Sapnap cuts in, halting his discussion with George and the other contestant. He’s not even supposed to be on the show in the first place and if Dream remembered correctly, he was one vouching for George to vote him off. Dream wishes George listened to his advice. “What’s he trying to do?”</p>
<p>“Nothing,” he says, voice more stable than he expected. At least there’s that. “It’s a surprise.”</p>
<p>“Oh, surprise?” The other contestant asks. “Woah.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,<em>  Dream,” </em> George says in a tone all too similar. He’s teasing him, the idiot. Dream doesn’t even try to fight back his smile. “What’s the surprise?” </p>
<p>“I—“</p>
<p>“Speaking of surprises,” Austin announces, coming to Dream’s rescue. “I got one right for us. Did Dream pick love or host?”</p>
<p>That’s the opposite of a rescue. Complete opposite. The smile wipes off his face and Dream buries his face in his hands, wishing he could start the whole day over. “Oh my god.”</p>
<p>Chat’s quiet, which is a first. The whole time, hundreds of messages would disappear as fast as they flashed on the screen but now, at least a dozen come in slowly, either due to lag or the fact everyone’s waiting with bated breath for the answer. George is looking anywhere but the camera, heavy silence stretching over them and strangling the sides of Dream’s throat as he chokes out another “oh my god” and types one last question.</p>
<p>
  <em> Can I change it? </em>
</p>
<p>“Alright!” Austin yells. He's supposed to be on his side, the traitor. “You ready, chat?! Are you ready to hear what Dream chose?!”</p>
<p>
  <em> No-- </em>
</p>
<p>George laughs as hundreds of chat messages flood in, his voice loud and clear amidst the chaos. Tugging at the collar of his hoodie, he props his head up with the palm of his hand, a shy smile forming at the edge of his mouth. The notion is adorable, something that would no doubt be clipped and screenshotted and set as stan profile pictures and pulls at Dream’s heartstrings that he can’t bring himself to watch the rest for what’s about to come.</p>
<p>“Get ready--”</p>
<p>Ripping off a bandaid. That’s what this is. The analogy smacks him at the worst possible timing and Dream can’t get too caught up in the schematics but if that’s the case, it’s taking a very long time to tear it off his skin. </p>
<p>“Dream chose--”</p>
<p>Hell no. It brings another chuckle out of George and another muffled scream from him. He’s so fucked. They both are. </p>
<p>“He chose--”</p>
<p>George is grinning from ear to ear, leg bouncing in anticipation. Dream pulls out his phone and takes a photo for posterity’s sake, preparing a message to text him along with it. Such an idiot. </p>
<p>But at least he’s his.</p>
<p>
  <em> “Host!” </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>who's the other contestant?? yes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <s> im kinda late to this but ehhhh </s></p></blockquote></div></div>
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